Over Reducing PPG Clearcoat

[Rick G.]

I have just read responses from several painter on another paint forum that you can reduce PPG clear 150% to 200% and it will flow beautifully with absolutely no orange peel and most of the responses said it turned out so beautiful that they never buff of polish the finished product. Sounds to good to be true, but I thought I would run it past you guys to get the true scoop.

 

[rex]

By the book PPg says you can go around +10% with the reducer.It will work going more but you have to watch for immediate runs and slides.I haven't tried it because as a general rule the more reducer you use the more likely you are to get dieback later on.This high a reduction is in the lacquer neighborhood and considering normal reduction is under 25% I'd say they're looking for trouble down the road,not only with trapped solvents but also with millage if they aren't doing this as a flow coat.I wouldn't even want to guess at the flash time on a coat of this mix,the 'have a smoke and go again' sounds more like 1/2 a pack now

 

[trigga]

follow the mix ratio and you can add about 1/2 a part extra. The more reducer you add the thinner you clear is when it's dry. If you plane on rubbing the part when you are done the one thing you dont want is thin clear.

 

[blaino]

I use MP161 with mp167 hardener (fast) to clear. I have reduced up to 70%. What Rex and Trig have said is true. You have to wait twice as long for it to flash and when you Buff (if you do) you have to be VERY careful. Now....If you have the time and the material to lay down multiple coats your finial outcome will be Buff Free. I use a touch up gun with a 1.0 Needle (Tanks and Fenders), so I have to thin quite a bit.

Blaino

 

[TAZ]

I personally just spray it like the ratio reads. I like the D894 Global clear. This is *very* slow drying clear though. It is mixed 3-1-1.

Anytime your "over-reduce" your clear (or any single stage paint you may spray), your paint will lay one "flatter". You are spraying with more reducer (which is like water), versus paint (which is fairly thick). Like everyone else mentioned, your actual paint (in mils) will be thinner, so you want to compensate by putting more coats on.
After a few jobs (maybe a few hundred

), you can slick them out with very, very minimal orange peel anyway. I feel one of the biggest factors is more hand control, than anything. I know I should be using a 1.4 or 1.5 setup, but believe it or not, I still use a 1.7 "cannon shot

".

Hey...I plan on buffing them anyway!

The slicker the better though

Before buffing...

 

[TAZ]

hey Trigga,
We related???

kinda look alike. I'm a little better looking, but....

 

[flamethrower]

Scott, Trigga, I thought you guys looked a little alike... I had to get you in the same post to be sure though. Hope you guys momma didn't have any more lookin' like you two. LOL

Scott, I still can't add an avatar. Didn't you like my Stealy pic?

 

[Austin]

Scott, use much D890? We use Global at our shop as well, I like 894, but I use 890 for alsost everything. The mix on 890 is supposed to be 3-1-.5, but you have to use 873 to get it to lay down, we mix it at 3-1-1 and love it.
Austin

 

[TAZ]

Flamethrower,
I put an Avatar on your sig. You should be able to change it. The only thing I did was make sure the the "URL" was not listed when I picked the image.

Austin,
I'll check the 890 out. Sounds good. Does it dry fairly quick. How does that compare to the 893 clear-thanks

 

[Austin]

890 is still quite a bit slower than 893, but alittle faster than 894. I must say I really like it, as long as its mixed 3-1-1. My PPG rep said at 3-1-1 is not VOC compliant in Cal.
I don't use 893 for very much anymore, it seems to have some durability issues (its fast though) good for cutting in parts.
Austin